The state sector

NZPA report:

Prime Minister John Key says New Zealand has more government agencies than a country its size needs and has signalled there could be several mergers to reduce their number.

The state sector consists of 41 departments and ministries, 84 statutory Crown entities, 11 Crown entity companies, 17 state-owned enterprises, 31 tertiary education institutions and numerous ”schedule four entities” like the Lottery Grants Board.

I don’t really count the 31 tertiary education institutions in the core state sector, but even excluding them that is 153 state entities, plus the Schedule 4 entities.

If Labour really thinks three small mergers is a radical restructuring, they need to get real.

Labour actually started the mergers off – they combined Courts and Justice back together. Does Grant Robertson think this was a radical restructuring?

What a shame to see Labour oppose something that they actually got right in the last Government.